Abstract

1.During the breeding season 1998/99 the foraging movements of magellanic penguins breeding at Seal Bay to the northeast of the Falkland Islands were tracked using satellite transmitters.

2.The penguins studied foraged for varying time periods of between 1 and over 67 days. Foraging trips generally followed a looping course and distance from the colony increased with the duration of the foraging trip. The area most frequented was to the northeast of the colony.

3.Typically, penguins travelled in an anti-clockwise direction, i.e. birds left the colony on an easterly course and returned from a westerly direction. This pattern may be linked to the main current surrounding the Falkland Islands.

4.Two birds headed further north and foraged over the Patagonian Shelf and along the continental slope up to 41°S.

5.Average daily activity of the birds ranged between 32 and 53%, with a tendency to be slightly higher during foraging trips of less than a week.

6.Average travelling speeds ranged between 2.2 and 6.6 km/h, being significantly higher in birds with foraging trips lasting more than a week. Maximum travelling speeds achieved were occasionally higher than 12 km/h, always achieved by birds foraging for more than 20 days, consequently moving further away from the colony and becoming associated with the prevailing currents.

7.The implications of the findings are discussed with respect to potential threats from human activities in the area, namely oil exploration and fisheries.